Olympic Darling Joannie Rochette to Perform Moving Tribute to Her Late Mother in Friday’s Show
More good news for skating aficionados: Music and choreographer details have been unveiled for “Thin Ice,” a live, televised figure-skating reality competition that will originate from the Premier Ballroom of the MGM Grand at Foxwoods March 18 through 21, and will air in primetime on the ABC Television Network on March 19 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) and March 21 (7:00-8:00 p.m., ET).
Joannie Rochette, the courageous Canadian figure skater who won a bronze medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver just four days after losing her mother to a heart attack, will perform in the March 19 show, skating to “Vole” (English translation: “Fly”) by her late mother’s favorite artist, fellow Canadian Celine Dion. The song includes the touching and appropriate lyrics “Fly fly little flame/Fly my angel, my soul/Leave your misery’s skin/Go rediscover the light.”
Judges for the show include skating legends Katarina Witt, Kristi Yamaguchi and Dick Button. Co-hosts are four-time World Champion Kurt Browning and Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Emmy Award-winning host of ABC’s “The View.”
Other performers and their spirited music and choreography selections include:
Stephane Lambiel of Switzerland, 2005 World Champion and Vancouver Olympic men’s fourth-place finisher, and Shizuka Arakawa of Japan, 2006 Olympic Champion, performing “Get Bodied” by BeyoncŽ and “Magic Touch” by Robin Thicke and Mary J. Blige, choreographed by Hi-Hat
Jamie SalŽ of Canada, 2001 World Champion and 2002 Olympic Champion, and Patrice Lauzon, five-time Canadian National Champion and twice World Silver Medalist, performing “Sexy Chick” by David Guetta and “Hey, Soul Sister” by Train, choreographed by David Wilson
Shae-Lynn Bourne of Canada, 2003 World Champion ice dancer, and John Zimmerman, three-time U.S. National Champion and World Bronze Medalist, performing “Closer” by Ne-Yo and “Poker Face” by Lady Gaga, choreographed by David Wilson
David Pelletier of Canada, 2001 World Champion and 2002 Olympic Champion, and Elena Berezhnaya of Russia, two-time World Champion and Olympic Co-Champion, performing “Hot ‘n’ Cold” by Katy Perry and “Cowboy Casanova” by Carrie Underwood, choreographed by Steven Cousins
Michael Weiss, three-time U.S. National Champion and World Bronze Medalist, and Marie France Dubreuil, five-time Canadian National Ice Dancing Champion and two-time World Silver Medalist, performing “Meet Me Halfway” by the Black Eyed Peas, choreographed by Fatima Robinson, and “Broken Strings” by James Morrison and Nelly Furtado, choreographed by Mark Ballas